


A Brief Interlude: Sting

by JQ (musicmillennia)



Series: Smol Dragon Barry 'verse [12]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Dragons, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Barry, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 19:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6718510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/JQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous said: Smol Barry universe, 'have you lost your damn mind?!?' or 'I almost lost you'?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Brief Interlude: Sting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueStar1937](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueStar1937/gifts).



Barry wakes to burning agony racing through his human nerves. He tries curling away from it, making himself as small as possible under Len's parka. Doesn't do much of course, but it does help him realize that there are fingers tugging gently at his hair.

 _Barry?_ Len. Barry whimpers.  _You with me?_

_...kind of?_

Len heaves a quiet sigh.  _You're an idiot._

A fresh wave a needles stab Barry's skin. He pinpoints the source at his arms and chest.  _Why...what...?_

Exasperation-worry-worry-worry- _How much do you remember?_

Barry fishes his memory. It's blurry: a reddish pink something,  _stinging, ow, fuck_ , Len's ice, Len's rage, Len's worry. He shows them to his handler, who sifts through them and focuses them like they're photos in a red room.

Slowly, Barry recalls the whole picture. He and Len had been assigned a collecting mission; a couple dragon eggs had been lost in another raid to the north. Len had snarked at Barry as soon as his dragon got it in his head to sweep him off his feet and carry him bridal style to the nesting site. They'd gone through the customary mournful silence over what eggs didn't make it, buried the shells...then Len started tracking the raiders' path.

After that...they...oh, they'd reached the raiders in a matter of hours. Between Len's skill and Barry's speed, it wasn't difficult. Len iced most of them to the ground while Barry hit the rest head on. What they hadn't been expecting was the raiders to have a needlepoint—fucking nasty sentient muscles that are basically land-dwelling jellyfish, just with spikes on their bodies. That's the fleshy pink Barry remembered.

One of the last raiders standing threw the thing at Len. For all his speed, Barry had no time to find something to knock it out of the way. Naturally he shifted and used himself instead.

 _Naturally_ , Len snaps.  _Do you ever think before you act or am I just lucky?_

_Len—_

_I could've_ lost  _you!_ An image of Barry covered in sweat and angry red welts surges between them. Barry flinches under the parka.  _Do you have_ any  _idea how many times your heart stopped?!_

Barry swallows. "Len, I—"

But that just direct Len's anger outwards: " _Five_ times, Barry.  _Five_! I felt our bond sever five fucking times!" his voice cracks. Wherever they are is now coated with virulent fractals.

Ignoring the pain, Barry shoves out of the parka to squeeze his arms around Len's waist. "I'm sorry for that. But I can't apologize for saving your life, Len."

Len's  _shaking_. "Outta the two of us, Barry, it's you who can't die."  _You can't. You_ can't _._

Barry nuzzles his stomach and murmurs, "Then you can't die, either. Our bond's deep."

A sneer, "Pretty sure I got that memo."

Barry winces. "Right. Yeah." A pause. "You're alive, though. I had a chance; you got hit, you would've died for sure."

Len sucks in a deep breath. He gently pushes Barry up. "Stay there. Those need more ointment."

Barry looks down at himself. Those welts from Len's memory have turned purple, puckering along his arms and torso. Len retrieves a small bowl with makeshift paste in it; the dragon wrinkles his nose when it gets close.

"What's in that?" Barry asks.

"Lucky for you," Len replies, dipping his fingers in it, "everything I needed."

The ointment's forest green and thick. Almost as soon as it hits Barry's skin, it hardens. Len teases him when he hisses from how cold it is. Once it's applied, Len leaves what Barry now sees is a little hovel in Central Woods to wash his hands in a nearby stream. At least it's warm outside; Barry finds a spot to sunbathe before Len gets back.

One of Len's thoughts surfaces, unbidden:  _Dragons are so much like cats._

Barry laughs at it. Len rolls his eyes. Their bond smooths into its familiar contented humming, and Barry's so relieved by it, he catches Len's hand before his handler can reach his pack.

Len allows himself to be pulled into a chaste kiss, close-mouthed and warm. Barry nuzzles their foreheads together afterwards.

"I'm here, Len," he mumbles, pressing another kiss to the corner of Len's mouth, "I'm okay. You saved me."

Len hisses, "Don't make me do it again."

He'll have to, though. And so will Barry, for him. They're not the kind to sit by and watch each other get hurt; Barry saves random strangers, while Len will ice anyone who goes after his family. Barry dreads the day when no amount of ointment or pleading is going to help.

But for now, he just smiles and says, "Okay."

**Author's Note:**

> Requests for this verse are CLOSED until further notice. I'll let you know if/when they're open again :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
